This is a discussion on Pre-bubble: How do you play? within the online poker forums, in the Tournament Poker section; How do you play when the bubble are just going to blow?
Ps: The tournament prized position are for the first 90 players. Ther are 119

Pre-bubble: How do you play?

How do you play when the bubble are just going to blow?
Ps: The tournament prized position are for the first 90 players. Ther are 119 players left in a turbo game. You started with 3.000 chips and you have 4.250 chips and the average in the tournament players are at 12.500. The BB/SM/ante are at 1200/600/100. Yhe prize for the first place is it 80 bucks and for the 90 is 1 dollar prize.
a) you play rough against the players thar are afraid to be out of the prized positions
b) you fold all hand waiting the bubble blows
c) you play cautionsly only enter in hands in good position and at minimum bets
d) you enter only with very strong hands independent if it will demand an all in
e) other action [please expose to us your strategy]

#2

18th October 2016, 1:36 PM

karl coakley [506]

Poker at: ACR

With only 4 bb there really isn't any "seeing a flop" unless you are in the bb. Unless you just took a beat, this is exactly why you shove in the 10-15bb range, so you don't end up in this position.

You aren't going to "a) play rough against the players afraid to be out". That player is YOU. With 4bb, you are going to get called just because its so little of an investment to put you out on the bubble.

I don't think you are going to make the money with 4bb and 119 left trying to blind down, so your only choice is to take a chance with something that may make it through. Your range should be pretty wide.

#3

18th October 2016, 3:34 PM

CadoARAJ [733]

Online Poker at: PokerStars

Game: Holdem

Yes, is it true. There's only one chance to overcome or get down. Ir's just all or nothing in this case. This happens a lot with me.

#4

18th October 2016, 4:51 PM

TeUnit [2,077]

Poker at: PokerStars

Game: holdem, sng,

e. you opportunistically look for situations to play

#5

18th October 2016, 4:56 PM

edc1 [476]

Online Poker at: acr

Game: nlhe

seems like your at push fold area,not enough chips to blind into money-i would look for any 2 painted cards and push-why play to min cash

#6

29th November 2016, 5:32 PM

alfadog85 [852]

c) you play cautionsly only enter in hands in good position and at minimum bets.

#7

29th November 2016, 5:42 PM

MarceloMC [221]

Online Poker at: PokerStars

Game: NHL & PLO

re: Poker & Pre-bubble: How do you play?

Normally all the Pros like to play agressively to steal Blinds as most of the players intend to stay ITM but I prefer to continue in the same path and strategy of playing TAG and just making huge moves with very strong hands and when in position!

#8

29th November 2016, 5:56 PM

thetick33 [1,605]

Poker at: acr

Game: holdem

i would make moves to triple stack I would already probably have been making moves. A buck at this point is meaningless to me. I play multiple games though so if lose 3-4 times if win a couple rounds get to decent money to cover buy ins I am happy. I would be using position previous plays shows etc.. I wouldnt necessarily wait on monsters.

#9

30th November 2016, 12:57 AM

kishiru [41]

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

Of course you play cautionsly only enter in hands in good position and at minimum bets

#10

30th November 2016, 6:12 PM

antonis32123 [1,758]

Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

Originally Posted by TeUnit

e. you opportunistically look for situations to play

I agree with this . Basically I play like before the bubble , but try to see if some players are weak and if I can steal more easily the blinds or make them fold . I used to play more and more passively/tight as soon as the blinds were coming close , now I've changed

#11

30th November 2016, 7:37 PM

Mauno [322]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

mostly c,d.

#12

30th November 2016, 7:39 PM

nacmonkey [34]

Bubble about to blow

I wait until others take action but at the same time while i wait i try to play a few hands.

#13

30th November 2016, 7:52 PM

Shakes [423]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: holdem

Pretty much C and D for me as well. Im not really for playing Turbos anyway but with such few chips, its wait for a premium hand and show

#14

30th November 2016, 11:43 PM

joeisi [1,872]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Omaha 8

re: Poker & Pre-bubble: How do you play?

If you are currently in 95th place or less fold your way to the money if you can, start immediately using clock.

If you above this you may not be able to make the money by folding. Look for a good spot with a half decent hand and stick it in. You are getting called and in most cases it it would be light. The sooner you can do this the better.

#15

1st December 2016, 8:04 AM

BRADYboy2 [758]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem/Horse

If less than 10bb's i'll only shove premium hands and if i feel i can steal the blinds from a smaller stack if action is folded around to me i'll push then also but i normally wait till bubble pops if possible, if only a micro tournie for a cpl of $'s i'll use the bubble and play far more hands but if money is abit higher i'll wait. Edit-I just read your full post and i can say i will be pushing and hoping it get's through with a far wider range since you're not going to blind down to the money with 4xbbs and only for $1 min cash i'm pushing hoping to double or treble up and get some of the larger prizepool.

#16

1st December 2016, 6:28 PM

ohshootmybad [8,047]

Originally Posted by CadoARAJ

How do you play when the bubble are just going to blow?
Ps: The tournament prized position are for the first 90 players. Ther are 119 players left in a turbo game. You started with 3.000 chips and you have 4.250 chips and the average in the tournament players are at 12.500. The BB/SM/ante are at 1200/600/100. Yhe prize for the first place is it 80 bucks and for the 90 is 1 dollar prize...You have 3.5 BBs w/ 19 players to bust before the bubble pops.

a) you play rough against the players thar are afraid to be out of the prized positions...Not possible with only 3.5BBs. You don't have fold equity to push anyone out of the pot preflop. Unless they're just really bad players who limp in w/ 9 BBs behind, then fold to your shove...

b) you fold all hand waiting the bubble blows...Not possible with 3.5 BBs, unless you expect 19 players to bust out in 2.2 rotations, or ~20 cards dealt.

c) you play cautionsly only enter in hands in good position and at minimum bets....By 'at minimum bets' are you talking about limping in or min raising? Either one is stupid w/ only 3.5 BBs.

d) you enter only with very strong hands independent if it will demand an all in....Well, it's not likely you have any other options other than shoving.

Some will disagree with me on this, but you need to be shoving a wide range of hands with 3.5 BBs. You can't wait for a strong hand with your chip stack with blinds and antes eating you up. You just can't afford to wait for a big hand.

e) other action [please expose to us your strategy]...Well, first, I'd kick myself for letting my stack get down to 3.5 BBs, unless it's a result of a bad beat.

Next, I'm jamming anything that looks remotely decent, shoving ATC from any position if it's folded to me, and shoving ATC from UTG because there is no way I'm paying a 1.2K BB with a 4.2K stack. Basically, I'm probably shoving about 90% of hands. Maybe more.

This far away from cashing, my main goal is to double up and build a stack to play and I'm not going to do so by folding and letting my stack dwindle. I have no FE, so it's going to pretty much luck for me to to double up, but if I can great. I just want to be able to double up as much chips as I can in order to put me in a better spot. If I can double up my 4.25K stack early, it gives me ~10 BBs. I don't want to wait until I'm down to 1.1K before I decided to try and double up. Basically, I'm in a bad position and only putting myself in worse by not acting quickly.

Finally, I'm so far from cashing that if I make a quick play and bust out, it doesn't matter. I'm likely going to bust out soon even if I dont play a hand and I'm not going to wait for the inevitable waiting for a big hand and let me stack dwindle down. I'm going to act fast and hope luck is on my side.

E.

#17

1st December 2016, 10:51 PM

asedu [592]

Online Poker at: =$+

1. You have ~4bb. No matter how you count bb/m number you're in very-very bad possition. This = bassicaly wait for a good hand. I do understand it's not a precise advice but still, KQs, any Ax... any hands that has value and shove
2. There are a lot of players left if you compare how much you can survive to rounds of BBs so waiting/hopping for 29 players just to bust-out in 1-2 rounds of BB to min cash is wrong, you have to act just to survive. So waiting for the bubble is just leaveing you nowwere. This goes for min bets too, you have no min bets. Its shove/fold for you
3. Playing before the bubble. Me - loose, everyone tightens up - I steal =) but with 3.5 bb you can not do that as you have no fold equity even if you were playing perfect TAG/NIT

#18

1st December 2016, 11:38 PM

catchitfool [427]

Poker at: carbon

Game: holdem

i tend to fold around the bubble unless im big stack ill pick on the shortys

#19

2nd December 2016, 12:15 AM

paulsmall007 [562]

Online Poker at: acr, pokerst

Game: Nlh & Omaha

If I have a big stack I'm avoiding action, don't need to lose the lead, otherwise I'm just playing my game, don't really conform to getting outta line, pretty standard short stack bullying

#20

2nd December 2016, 2:01 AM

CriesuaID [477]

Poker at: PS/888

Game: Holdem

If I have a lot of BB.
a) you play rough against the players that are afraid to be out of the prized positions

If I have no chances to win and I'm trying to survive to stay ITM:
d) you enter only with very strong hands independent if it will demand an all in

#21

2nd December 2016, 2:02 AM

CriesuaID [477]

Online Poker at: PS/888

Game: Holdem

re: Poker & Pre-bubble: How do you play?

If I have a lot of BB:
a) you play rough against the players that are afraid to be out of the prized positions

If I have no chances to win and I'm trying to survive to stay ITM:
d) you enter only with very strong hands independent if it will demand an all in

#22

2nd December 2016, 9:18 AM

amazingriki [28]

Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

I play aggressively, but not always. If there's another agressive opponent, I usually go all in every 5-9 hands, usually stealling a big blind PLUS his re-raise.
Waiting for some hands makes it more believable that you actually have something.

Basically everyone in the bubble is scared af. No one likes to risk it. So, take advantage!

#23

2nd December 2016, 8:18 PM

Daniljev [26]

Originally Posted by CadoARAJ

How do you play when the bubble are just going to blow?
Ps: The tournament prized position are for the first 90 players. Ther are 119 players left in a turbo game. You started with 3.000 chips and you have 4.250 chips and the average in the tournament players are at 12.500. The BB/SM/ante are at 1200/600/100. Yhe prize for the first place is it 80 bucks and for the 90 is 1 dollar prize.
a) you play rough against the players thar are afraid to be out of the prized positions
b) you fold all hand waiting the bubble blows
c) you play cautionsly only enter in hands in good position and at minimum bets
d) you enter only with very strong hands independent if it will demand an all in
e) other action [please expose to us your strategy]

a) you play rough against the players thar are afraid to be out of the prized positions

#24

3rd December 2016, 12:23 AM

ohshootmybad [8,047]

Originally Posted by Daniljev

a) you play rough against the players thar are afraid to be out of the prized positions

Oh, yeah. You're going to be playing so rough against your opponents with 3.5 BBs.

#25

6th December 2016, 4:04 PM

CadoARAJ [733]

Online Poker at: PokerStars

Game: Holdem

Originally Posted by asedu

1. You have ~4bb. No matter how you count bb/m number you're in very-very bad possition. This = bassicaly wait for a good hand. I do understand it's not a precise advice but still, KQs, any Ax... any hands that has value and shove
2. There are a lot of players left if you compare how much you can survive to rounds of BBs so waiting/hopping for 29 players just to bust-out in 1-2 rounds of BB to min cash is wrong, you have to act just to survive. So waiting for the bubble is just leaveing you nowwere. This goes for min bets too, you have no min bets. Its shove/fold for you
3. Playing before the bubble. Me - loose, everyone tightens up - I steal =) but with 3.5 bb you can not do that as you have no fold equity even if you were playing perfect TAG/NIT

Great tactic. Risky, but in this case, only the risky action can save our soul. Thanks.

#26

7th December 2016, 12:50 AM

rock0001 [630]

with less than 4 bb you need to double your stack as soon as possible because you are not in a near bubble situation yet. there are still 28 more players before the bubble burst , so shove with a decent hand and if you double your stack then play more tight and wait for a strong preflop hand to double up your stack again. you might also can try to steal the blinds with decent hands in late position specially against tight players with a middle stack.

#27

7th December 2016, 1:47 AM

paulsmall007 [562]

Online Poker at: acr, pokerst

Game: Nlh & Omaha

Depends on your stack less than ten bigs you can wait to get lucky and min cash, otherwise ur waiting for premium hands and trying to stay above average stack, have a big stack bully the small stacks and u better be willing to call as the short stack will just ship it

#28

7th December 2016, 3:14 AM

iFishForFlush [56]

re: Poker & Pre-bubble: How do you play?

All depends on the situation, if you can exploit people folding into the money do it.

#29

7th December 2016, 4:36 AM

dbchristy [646]

Online Poker at: BOL ACR

Game: Holdem

If Im stacked, Im a bully, if Im low..tight only aces or KK

#30

7th December 2016, 1:54 PM

SuzdalDEcor [511]

a) you play rough against the players that are afraid to be out of the prized positions - true if you want to get a 1st place.
b) you fold all hand waiting the bubble blows - true, if your BR i very bad.

Good luck and never give up

#31

8th December 2016, 7:00 PM

Daniljev [26]

If Im stacked or not. I am aggressive.

#32

13th November 2017, 6:33 AM

nacmonkey [34]

I choose a play rough you have to be aggressive and see if you get lucky that poker got to have a unbeat hand later to go into final table

#33

13th November 2017, 8:44 PM

Rodrigonog [186]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: holdem

with this stack I only enter from all in with good hands, there is nothing more to do with few chips except to go all in. option D

#34

13th November 2017, 8:53 PM

drolin [42]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: Holdem

a) you play rough against the players thar are afraid to be out of the prized positio